PS 1079 
.B3 03 
1893 
Copy 1 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE OBSERVATORY 



THE OBSERVATORY 



BY 



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JAMES PHINNEY BAXTER 



ILLUSTRATED 



\ DEC 29 1892 



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PORTLAND, ME. 

STEVENS AND JONES COMPANY 

1893 



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Copyright, 1892, 
By JAMES PHINNEY BAXTER. 



Typography by J. S. Gushing & Co , Boston. 
Presswork by Berwick & Smith, Boston. 



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THE OBSERVATORY. 



" Now, what a funny house is here, 
Standing so tall, 

and straight, and queer, 
In a cloak of red, 

like a grenadier, 



Grandpapa 



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" Did bad men build it 

so very high, 
That they might climb 

to the sky thereby. 
And were they punished ? 

and how ? and why, 
Grandpapa ? " 



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" Nay, Moody, I'm sure, was a man true blue 
To him and other good men and true. 
Shipmasters mostly, its building is due, 
Grandson mine. 



" They built it so that their ships might be 
Espied far off upon the sea, 
Returning from voyages long and dree, 
Grandson mine. 



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" But let us go in and climb the stair ; 
Slow ! slow ! in conning the past, I declare 
I had quite forgotten the years which I bear, 
Grandson mine." 

" Why, here is a window from which I can spy 
The burying-ground ; and did they all die ? 
And was it down there that they put them ? and why, 
Grandpapa ? " 



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" Aye, marry ! all died, and some thither they bore. 
And some in tall ships to a far-away shore 
Sailed grandly from port, and were heard of no more, 
Grandson mine." 



" Now here we have almost climbed up to the sky ; 
See the spiders, like Indians, so cruel and sly ; 
And will they be burnt up like bad men ? and why, 
Grandpapa? " 








i-' " Nay, child, but stop here ; 

you may see, there away, 
Where stood the old fort ; 

there our sires, on a day. 
To the Indians gave a grand feast, as they say, 
Grandson mine. 



" They came single file, the strange creatures, arrayed 
In wampum and feathers, and folk were afraid 
If their eyes' evil light fell on. boy or on maid, 
Grandson mine. 



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*' Over there, where the Deering house beams 

in the light, 
Where the fields are so green, was the great 

Indian fight, 
On a September day ; 'twas a terrible sight. 
Grandson mine. 




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" They fought in the orchard ; *"^ 

but never before 
Bore orchard such fruit as on that day it bore, 
For Brackett lay there, and of others a score, 
Grandson mine. 

" But here ; and our sires loved the story to tell ; 
Rode Hegon's mad son, without bridle or sell. 
To a terrible fate, which he merited well, 
Grandson mine. 

" Brackett's colts, his wild band in the orchard espied. 
And their squaws at the sight for a feast loudly cried. 
So they caught a fierce stallion by bit never tried, 
Grandson mine. 



•' But their howling young chief 'ere he feasted would ride, 
And so to the furious beast was he tied ; 
A beggarly horseman in spite of his pride, 
Grandson mine. 



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" A whoop ! never wolves gave so fearful a yell, 
And away flew the steed over field, over fell, 
Mad with rage, mad with fear, which no mortal might quell. 
Grandson mine. 



" Through thickets untrackecl, with eyeballs aflame, 
He plunged, save to tear himself free, without aim ; 
Mazeppa's wild flight to young Hegon's was tame, 
Grandson mine. 

" Neither horse nor his rider was seen from that day ; 
But a moccasined leg was picked up by the way, 
And in Brackett's lone cellar was buried, they say. 
Grandson mine." 




" Why, see what a lot of brave flags, 

and so gay. 
And some that are faded and worn 

half away ; 
Was it good Noah's ark that they came 

from, I pray, 

Grandpapa?" 



" Nay, nay, but a many strange stories 
they tell ; 
In boyhood I knew every one of them well ; 
Brighter banners than they never breezes 
might swell. 

Grandson mine. 



" Oh ! here is one faded and worn to a shred ; 
How oft it has told to fair women, long dead, 
The coming of loved ones from voyages of dread, 
Grandson mine ! 

" But its owner once sailed on a morning in May ; 
His mate was a youth somewhat giddy and gay, 
Who a sweetheart left watching the ship bear away. 
Grandson mine. 



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" And she patiently watched for its coming again ; 
Never signal went up but her eye she would strain 
To read it, with hope it were his ; but in vain, 
Grandson mine. 



" And so, for long years, till her brain was quite turned, 

And her long hair was white, and her eye wildly burned. 
And at last the foul title of witch 

she had earned, 
Grandson mine. 




" And the boys hooted after her ' Coot ! ' 

as the street 
She followed with seemingly weariless feet. 
Upon fair days and foul, through sunshine 

and sleet, 
Grandson mine." 



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" Hurrah ! here we are at the top ; look ! I pray, 
See the guns on the fort, and the ships far away ! 
Will they never come back ? and why not ? prithee, say. 
Grandpapa ! " 

" Guns and ships ! listen well ; there Mowat came in ; 
There his bombship was moored, and the Canceau, to win 
But disgrace for him. Oh ! 'twas a terrible sin. 
Grandson mine, 

" On a town full of women and children to fire, 
To burn up our homes, leave us roofless, his ire 
To appease, and dread winter each day drawing nigher. 
Grandson mine. 



" Of Burroughs and Blythe they have told you, maybe ; 
I remember me well, how my heart leaped with glee 
At the sound of their guns booming over the sea, 
Grandson mine. 

" Here I stood on Munjoy ; there the sea stretched so blue, 
With the Boxer and Enterprise clearly in view. 
Each bearing to death her invincible crew. 
Grandson mine. 

" Puff ! a sound like dull thunder came up from the sea ; 
Another, and then both the ships seemed to be 
In a cloud caught away ; and it seemed unto me. 
Grandson mine. 



" Like a horrible dream ; why, we spoke not a word, 
But at each other stared, scarcely breathed, scarcely stirred, 
Thrilled through with each boom of the guns that we heard, 
Grandson mine. 

" But it ended at last, and the smoke blew away ; 
And the two battered hulks in the harbor soon lay 
With their captains both dead on their decks, strange to say, 
Grandson mine. 



" 'Twas a glorious time with us boys, aye ! the clays 
Overflowed with events ; every one had to gaze 
On the brave captains, dead, and their virtues to praise. 
Grandson mine. 



" Then the funeral came ; a grand sight 'twas, I ween. 
But alack ! a dumb stone, growing slimy and green, 
Is all that reminds us to-day of the scene. 
Grandson mine. 




" And the men so well bred, and the women so rare ; 
Why, to think of them walking these streets now, so fair, 
As of old, fills my veins with young blood, I declare, 
Grandson mine." 




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" Come ! come ! let us stay here no longer, I pray ; 
Let us down to the meadows of sweet-scented hay, 
Where the golden-winged butterflies sport all the day, 
Grandpapa." 



" Aye ! aye ! lad, 'tis well ; let us go, as you say. 

Grandson mine ; 
Let us follow the butterflies bright, while we may. 
Pressing hopefully on in the joy of the day, 

Grandson mine, little grandson mine. 






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